An Aylmer resident is out $4,500 after an employment scam that saw intimate pictures stolen from their phone and used to try to extort them.
According to Aylmer police, the victim replied to a job ad on Facebook and was later contacted by the prospective employer through WhatsApp, an online messaging application. The victim was told to send the employer bitcoin to cover initial losses that would then be paid back with interest, police said.
Shortly after, the victim was contacted again by the employer who requested their Apple ID and smartphone password in order to repay the funds. Using that information, the fake employer accessed the victim's phone and downloaded intimate images. They then contacted the victim again and demanded they send more money or the images would be distributed, police said.
"No legitimate business or organization will require you to send money in advance with the promises of a return with interest," police said in a statement issued Monday. They advise that replying to any online advertisement carries risk.
The investigation is ongoing.
